Grumpy Silverback

While trekking in Rwanda to see the gorillas, I had the mixed experience of meeting this silverback. I say mixed because he equal parts amazed and terrified me. If you've never seen a gorilla then the latter emotion I describe can be easily summarize in the fact that this silverback's forearms are wider than my waist.

 

At one point, while looking down my lens at a mother and child pair, I heard a rustling of leaves directly adjacent to me and looked over and up. Two feet in front and a few feet above was this silverback starring directly down at me. Realizing I was breaking the one rule (don't make eye contact) I quickly looked down, put my hands low, and tried to look as submissive as possible. With my peripheral vision catching just the knuckles of the silverback, I saw it turn towards me and stop. Observing me, he thought for a few seconds before grabbing a nearby rock, roughly the size of a small car tire, and casually tossing it off the side of hill. Point made, he walked away, dominance proven beyond a hope of a doubt.

Done